Spin Right Round
by RadiantBeam
Summary: Mio, Yoshika, and ten songs. The beauty of dancing is, you don't need music to do it. ::One-shot, iPod shuffle challenge:: ::Mio x Yoshika, mild Gertrude x Minna::


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Strike Witches, Mio, or Yoshika no matter how much I wish I did.

**Author's Note: **Written for the iPod shuffle challenge; put your iPod on shuffle and write a drabble for the first ten songs you hear, and do it fast enough to finish the drabble before the song ends.

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**Spin Right Round**

_01. That's What You Get – Paramore_

The last time Mio had ever entertained the thought of killing a member of her own squad was when she'd been fifteen and Minna had swiped a pair of her panties as a birthday gag, running like a lunatic with them through the whole base for the day. Luck and Gertrude had kept Mio from catching the Commander, and to this day the thought still made the Major glance nervously at her red-haired companion every time another birthday rolled around.

But now, she felt like killing again, and the victim's name was Lynette Bishop.

Mio liked Lynette, she really did. She was a good kid, sweet, if a little flighty and uncertain of herself at times when she was needed most, but she was dependable.

But she was the reason Yoshika was crying in her arms, and that was enough of a reason to kill her.

"_She doesn't love me back."_

Mio nearly rose at that very moment to hunt down Lynette and end it there, but Yoshika's grip on her was tight and her eyes were wet and pleading, tears still falling.

Tomorrow, she decided as she gently stroked Yoshika's hair and wiped away her tears, whispering softly. Tomorrow, she'd kill Lynette.

_02. Miracles Happen – Myra_

"What, you don't want to?"

Mio's clear eye gleamed good-naturedly, and Yoshika damn near swallowed her tongue.

Ever since coming home from Fuso Yoshika had been looking for an excuse to get as close to the Major as possible; lately, she'd even begun hoping she could sneak in a kiss if she could, since being close to Mio these days wasn't a hard task. The woman worked at a school right by hers, and she always visited the Miyafuji family, often spending nights and weekends there.

And now they were having a Christmas party with the entire squad, and the chance to kiss Mio had come; she and Yoshika had stepped through the door, talking while bringing in firewood, only to be stopped by Erica's exclamation that they were under mistletoe. Mio had glanced up, smiled slightly, and laughed.

"_What, you don't want to?"_

Yoshika swallowed and stepped closer, nervously resting her hands in Mio's and holding on tight. "Only if you don't want to," she squeaked out, blushing.

Mio blinked; her eye softened. "Don't worry about stupid things, Miyafuji," she whispered before cupping the younger girl's cheek and kissing her soundly amidst cat calls and wolf whistles from their friends and family.

_03. Fall For You – Secondhand Serenade_

"Sakamoto-san!"

Yoshika watched in a kind of dazed horror as the Neuroi shot above her, its 'hands' folding back to become the lasers the aliens were so well known for shooting off. Oblivious to the danger Mio continued to hurtle towards the pair at top speed, firing without pause.

The Neuroi made one last warning sound before red lasers erupted from its hands.

"Sakamoto-san, _no_!"

Yoshika didn't remember moving; she just suddenly was, her gun falling uselessly through the air, completely focused on Mio and nothing else. She slammed full force into the Major, and the force of her body was enough to push the older woman out of the way.

It didn't, however, give her adequate time to summon a shield. The Neuroi's beam sliced clean through her chest. Yoshika jerked once, went deathly still, then fell.

"Miyafuji?!"

_I'm glad you're safe… Sakamoto-san… _Yoshika smiled weakly even as her eyes dulled and closed. _I'm glad I could… save you…_

"_MIYAFUJI!!!"_

_04. Running Out Of Time – Simple Plan_

Yoshika narrowed her eyes, panting slightly as she struggled to control the power of her healing spell. Beneath her hands, Mio whimpered softly and stirred, but her eyes never opened.

_Control it… control it…_

Struggling with tears, Yoshika felt her dog ears flatten against her skull, repeating the two words over and over again in her head.

_Control it… control it…_

She shuddered, winced, shook her head to clear her vision. She was exhausted, hadn't slept at all and hadn't eaten a single thing since returning to base, but none of that mattered.

Mio's life was in danger because of her. Mio's blood stained her hands. It was only a matter of time before she died, if no one did anything.

_Control it!!_

Yoshika put her heart and soul into the last surge of healing power, nearly passing out from the force of it.

"Your control's gotten better, Miyafuji…"

It was all worth it when Mio smiled tiredly at her and took her hand.

_05. Take A Shot – Mizuki Nana_

"You're in love with her."

Minna's voice left little to the imagination; it usually did, Mio thought with a sigh as she stood before Dr. Miyafuji's grave. The Commander was always straight to the point when she needed to be. "Yes, I am," she said softly.

"And you're doing nothing about it."

"Yes, again."

Minna narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"She's five years younger than me, Minna. Even if I could get past that, she wouldn't be how she is now if I hadn't recruited her. She has friends back home, a family, and I took her away from that… I changed her." Mio glanced over her shoulder, smiled slightly. "I don't have the right to take her love, on top of everything else I've taken."

Minna lifted a brow, her gaze disbelieving, but Mio had returned her gaze to Dr. Miyafuji's grave. Finally, she sighed. "You're scared, Mio," she said at last.

"Well, so are you." Turning her back on the grave of Yoshika's father, Mio cheerfully patted Minna on the shoulder before walking past her. "After all, you haven't done anything about being in love with Barkhorn, have you?"

Minna cursed her in Karlsan all the way to the car.

_06. You Give Me Love – Faith Hill_

No one at the base truly understood why Mio had taken Yoshika as her lover; at times, even Yoshika herself didn't know what it was the older woman saw in her. Unlike the others, though, she never questioned it, never stopped to ask her about it. Asking about it, questioning it, would cause Mio's fragile confidence to shatter completely, so Yoshika never did it.

Instead of asking, Yoshika did what she did best: she supported Mio, encouraged her, smiled when she needed to see a smile and laughed when the Major did something that was funny, teased her gently in ways that Minna and Gertrude had never dreamed anyone could, gave her a shoulder to cry on and warm arms to sleep in when everything was said and done.

And that was why, more than anything, Mio had taken Yoshika as her lover.

Because Yoshika didn't ask why, like so many before her had. And she loved, unconditionally, without question, with all her heart.

Yoshika gave Mio love, and that was something no one on base would ever understand unless they found love of their own.

_07. Better Than Drugs – Skillet_

Mio would have lied if she said that she hadn't dabbled in drugs at some point during her career as a Witch. It wasn't unusual for veterans of the war to be addicted to some kind of foreign substance, something to calm their shaking hands and soothe the nightmares that came at night. For Mio, her poison was cigarettes; she'd started smoking at the tender age of fourteen and never looked back.

She handled her addiction better than others; she usually only smoked half a pack a day, using the withdrawal she endured as part of her regular training to maintain her prowess as a Witch. She usually lit a cigarette during the early morning hours and late at night, the only time she was ever really alone, and kept her lighter in her chest pocket as more of a comfort than a necessity.

Then Yoshika came to the base, and things began to change.

Mio didn't have as much time to smoke as she'd had in the past, because Yoshika wanted to train specifically with her in the mornings and evenings. The pack of cigarettes she kept in her drawer by her bed stayed unopened for days on end, completely ignored by their owner. Even the withdrawal had become easier to deal with, since Mio knew Yoshika was always waiting to learn whatever it was she practiced.

She still kept her lighter, though. For old times sake.

_08. Shed Some Light – Shinedown_

"Sakamoto-san… did I do the right thing?"

Yoshika's soft, timid voice made Mio look at her, surprised; she blinked. "Of course you did," she said. "You shot down the Neuroi, as ordered. You protected people."

"… Protected people… right…"

Yoshika bowed her head, biting her lower lip. Mio blinked again. "Miyafuji?" she asked at last, gently touching the younger girl's shoulder. Yoshika jolted and smiled uneasily, though her face was pale and tears trembled on her eyelashes.

"I'm fine, Sakamoto-san. If you'll excuse me, Commander Minna called for me and—"

The next instant Yoshika was crushed against Mio as the older woman hugged her tightly; with a sob Yoshika's fingers curled into Mio's shirt as she buried her face into the woman's shoulder and wept.

_09. Side Of A Bullet – Nickelback_

"What happened to your parents, Sakamoto-san?"

Mio blinked, looking down curiously at Yoshika; the two were sitting on an outcropping of rocks by the base, resting after a sparring session. Yoshika was a sight, flopped out on her back and breathing heavily, but her eyes were clear when Mio looked at them.

Mio hesitated, then cleared her throat. "My father was killed in combat before I was born," she said at last. She paused a moment, swallowed. "My mother shot herself when I was six." She settled back against the rock and stared up at the sky, narrowing her eyes against the sunlight and waiting for Yoshika's reaction.

She blinked and sighed as the younger girl slid to her side, gently resting her cheek against her shoulder. "I'm sorry I asked," Yoshika whispered, closing her eyes, and with another sigh Mio slid an arm around the girl's waist, pulling her close.

"Don't be sad, Miyafuji, it isn't like you."

_10. Far Away – Nickelback_

It had taken Mio an embarrassingly long time to get her hands on the location of the Miyafuji family clinic, if only because now that she was retired she no longer had access to the military records and no one to help her in the search. Deep down, she knew she didn't have to visit Yoshika, not really; they exchanged letters on a regular basis, and Fuso was a big place in its own right. The two had parted on good terms, and there was no reason to visit.

No reason to visit, except for the ache in Mio's chest and the nagging feeling that she wasn't where she belonged.

She saved up enough pocket change for a single bus ride to the nearest big city and walked the rest of the way, her Witch training coming in handy. She planned out a thousand and one different reactions to dropping by the Miyafuji clinic unannounced and discarded all of them before she even reached town.

Mio didn't even remember reaching the entrance to the yard of the house.

All she remembered was standing there and seeing Yoshika with a friend, some girl from school perhaps, sweeping the stairs and chatting happily. She felt her throat tighten. "Miyafuji."

Yoshika froze, her shoulders stiff and her hands tightening on the broom before she slowly turned, eyes wide. "Sakamoto-san?" she asked weakly.

Swallowing hard, saying every prayer she knew, Mio nodded. "Hi," she whispered weakly. "Long time no see."

"_Sakamoto-san!"_

With a cry of delight Yoshika flew across the yard, right into Mio's arms. Mio caught her mid-flight and swung her around with a laugh, not caring that Yoshika's mother and grandmother were running to the door, her friend gaping.

As the ache in her chest eased, Mio knew she was back where she belonged.

**The End**

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With the exceptions of maybe drabble 1 and drabble 4, most of these are set in some canon timeline during the course of the anime. The only one that isn't blatantly so is drabble 3, which is based off my own AU idea of how things might have gone if Yoshika had been shot down instead of Mio. The information on Mio's parents is purely speculation on my part, don't take me up on it.

Minna's archetype is Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, who is German, so I am assuming that in the Strike Witches world she'd hail from Imperial Karlsland, hence why she curses Mio out in "Karlsan" and not German.

Read and review, please!


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